During her speech to the SNP conference, the party leader listed a number of good things that Scotland has given the world. Included was the expansion of commerce. While it is indisputable that Scottish merchants played a pivotal role in the promotion of global commercial capitalism, the profits of which were crucial to the development of the industrial revolution in Britain, it is impossible to regard this as a universal good.
It had many negative consequences, including the greatest crime against humanity perpetrated in the name of commerce – the transatlantic slave trade. Its consequences are still being felt as you so clearly reported (Demands for Scotland to repay its slave debt to Jamaica, News, October 11).
The facts should be well known (Abhorrent trade has a long history, Letters, October 25). As a history undergraduate at Glasgow University in the late 1960s, I chose to study a special paper entitled The History Of Race And Colour In The Atlantic World. This introduced me to a range of academic work including, for example, the memorable Black Cargoes – a history of the triangular trade, first published in 1962.
Much academic research has been carried out since then and I agree completely with Louise Welsh when she contends that there is no excuse for the disproportionate role played by Scotland in the slave trade remaining hidden from our people and politicians (We can't hide our dirty secret, Comment, October 11).
Decades ago, Scottish schools were offering a short history course called Glasgow And The Tobacco Lords, based on a text of the same name published as part of the Then And There series.
A similar course, relating specifically to Scotland and the slave trade, needs to be developed and the intimate connections between Scotland and the triangular trade need to be embedded in the Higher history curriculum.
The Scottish Government needs seriously and consistently to encourage educational links between Scotland and Jamaica. At an institutional level, joint research projects could be considered and, importantly, a student exchange programme needs to be established.
Our universities in Glasgow should be ideally placed to take a lead in such developments.
Joe Eyre
Glasgow
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